Comparison of precipitation measurements by OTT Parsivel2 and Thies LPM optical disdrometers

Event E455

1 Introduction and data set

Event	Start	End	Length	Mean I	Max I	Mean Z	Mean KE	Cum P	Np	d50
455 p1	23/02/2015 18:30	23/02/2015 20:00	126	1.38	8.35	15.8	7.7	3.7	53657	0.321
455 p2	23/02/2015 18:30	23/02/2015 20:00	126	2.24	9.41	23.1	11.8	4.0	60577	0.363
455 p3	23/02/2015 18:30	23/02/2015 20:00	126	1.51	8.27	18.5	10.8	2.95	20592	0.547
455 p4	23/02/2015 18:30	23/02/2015 20:00	126	1.58	8.36	19.3	11.6	3.1	20117	0.583

  a <-as.POSIXct(strptime("2015-02-23 18:30:00","%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))
  b <-as.POSIXct(strptime("2015-02-23 20:00:00","%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"))
  times <- seq(a, b, by="min")

Read the raw PSVD data, using function psvd_read from the disdRo package.

# Thies 1
files <- list.files('./p1','.txt$|.txt.gz$', full.names=TRUE, recursive=TRUE)
dsd1 <- psvd_read(files, type='Thies')
dsd1 <- apply(dsd1, c(2,3), sum)

# Thies 2
files <- list.files('./p2','.txt$|.txt.gz$', full.names=TRUE, recursive=TRUE)
dsd2 <- psvd_read(files, type='Thies')
dsd2 <- apply(dsd2, c(2,3), sum)

# Parsivel 1
files <- list.files('./p3','.txt$|.txt.gz$', full.names=TRUE, recursive=TRUE)
dsd3 <- psvd_read(files, type='Parsivel')
dsd3 <- apply(dsd3, c(2,3), sum)

# Parsivel 2
files <- list.files('./p4','.txt$|.txt.gz$', full.names=TRUE, recursive=TRUE)
dsd4 <- psvd_read(files, type='Parsivel')
dsd4 <- apply(dsd4, c(2,3), sum)

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2 PSVD plots

Particle size and velocity plots, using function psvd_plot from the disdRo package. First, we shall plot the raw data as read from the disdrometer telegrams, and then we shall apply a filter to the PSVD matrix based on a 50% difference with respect to the fall velocity model of Beard (1976).

2.1 Unfiltered data

2.2 Filtered data

We first create a filter using the function psvd_filter from the disdRo package. We limit the data to particle sizes between 0.25 and 8 mm. We use a discrepancy threshold of 50% with respect to the Beard (1976) model, setting the elevation (alt) to 230 m to account for the elevation effect on the fall velocity of raindrops.

There will be two filters, one for Thies disdrometers (fltT) and one for Parsivel ones (fltP).

# Thies
fltT <- psvd_filter(type='Thies', d=c(0.25,8), tau=0.5, alt=230)
image(fltT)

# Parsivel
fltP <- psvd_filter(type='Parsivel', d=c(0.25,8), tau=0.5, alt=230)
image(fltP)

We now do the plots. Transparency of the filtered area can be set with parameter alpha.

3 Particle size distribution

We now produce particle size distribution plots, using the function psd_plot from the disdRo package. These plots depict the particle density (ND), against the particle size class.

3.1 Unfiltered data

3.2 Filtered data

4 Particle velocity distribution

We now produce particle fall velocity distribution plots, using the function psd_plot from the disdRo package. These plots depict the particle density (ND), against the particle size class.

4.1 Unfiltered data

4.2 Filtered data

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5 Event time series

5.1 Time series, measured variables

5.2 Time series, calculated variables, no filter & no margin correction

5.3 Time series, calculated variables, filter & margin correction